THE PEACE SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11537, 23 November 1900, Page 3

THE PEACE SOCIETY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I suppose you would hardly print a reply in detail to the denunciation of peace societies and all their ways published in your issue of this morning, but perhaps you will allow mo to challenge one or two ot the statements made, more especially with reference to the Auckland Peace Association. You say that the fundamental basis of its peculiar ethics is that the enemies of our country are to be sympathised with and our self-devoting defenders to be condemned. I should be obliged if you would state the fundamental basis for this peculiar assertion —it has; none whatever in fact. Again, yon say that the extraordinary position commonly taken up by peaeo-at-any-price advocates is so viciously unethical and unjust as to make tho very word "peace society" a synonym with many sincere people for disloyalty, treachery, and sedition. Well, many sincere people are liable to make mistake, especially when those whoso duty it is supposed to be to keep them supplied with reliable information show such reckless inaccuracy. I doubt whether tho imputation is deserved by any of tho peace societies, thouch of course I cannot speak from personal knowledge of many of them; certainly as far as tho Auckland Peace Association is concerned it has as little foundation in fact as tho previous one. The patriotism of the advocates of peace is as earnest and genuine as that of any of tho many sincere and honourable men who are opposed to them; and far more so than that of those whoso ideal of patriotism is_ a blatant jingoism, and who seem to think that ho has given the best proof of his love for his country who has howled the loudest with the largest mob. By the way it is somewhat curious that Tolstoi, whom you so much admire, is a."peace-at-any-pnce advocate," while the Auckland Peaco Association, which you so much detest, is not committed to any such position, as you will see from the copy of our constitution which I enclose.—l am, etc., M. Alois, Secretary Auckland Peace Association. Auckland, November 19, 1900.